Seed-corn sorter.



N0- 833,715. PATENTED OCT. 16, 1906- L. P. GRAHAM.

SEED CORN SORTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.23,1906.

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PATENTED OCT. 16, 1906.

L. P. GRAHAM. SEED CORN SORTER. APPLICATION FILED MAR.23,1906.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 16, 1906.

Application filed March 23, 1906- Serial No. 307,734.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEVI P. GRAHAM, a

, resident of the city of Decatur,.county of Macon, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seed- Corn Sorters, of which the following is a specification.

One object of this invention is to so combine a screen with a supply-hopper and an intervening butt-sorter, consisting of a spirally-ribbed cylinder and an opposing plate, that the cylinder will feed corn from the supply lengthwise of the sorting-slot between the cylinder and the plate, discharging grains of requisite thinness through the slot and onto the screen in an approximately even manner, while carrying the butts or large round grains t0 the end or ends of the slot and discharging them off the screen.

Another object is to improve the construction of the butt-sorter.

The invention is exemplified in the structure hereinafter described, and it is defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming part of this speciiication, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cornsorter embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the operative parts of the sorter, illustrating the action of the screenshaking mechanism. Fig. 3 is a plan of onehalf of the cornsorter. Fig. 4 is a central vertical section lengthwise of the sorter. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the machine.

The box or body of the sorter is shown at 1, and the hopper is shown at 2. At 3 are shown cast-metal plates used to attach the hopper to the body, and slots through the plates are shown at 3 Trunnions 4 for cylinder 5 journal in the plates 3 and the cylinder is provided with the spiral rib 6. The rib 6 is preferably wound in opposite directions from the longitudinal center of the cylinder, as shown in Fig. 5, for a reason that will be hereinafter explained. A crank-arm 7 is fastened onto the projecting end of one of the trunnions 4, and it has a cam exten sion 8, which is used to oscillate a screen-supporting hanger. A similar cam extension or arm 9 is attached to the opposite trunnion. Hangers 10 are pivoted on pins 11. The intermediate parts of the hangers are divided or cut away to straddle or embrace the camarms 8 and 9, and pins 12 project inward from the swinging ends of the hangers through slots 3 andinto holes in the side strips 13 of the screen-frame.

The crank-arm 7 is turned in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 2, carrying the cylinder with it, and the cam-arms swing the hangers back and forth from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2 and the reverse. The center of oscillation of the hangers extends rearward from the pins 11, l

and so the screen is raised at its receiving end as it swings rearward and is lowered as it swings forward, as indicated by slots 3.

The side strips 13 of the screen-frame are made of thin angle-iron formed by bending sheet metal at right angles, and the crossstrip 18 is similarly constructed. The crossstrip 14 at the discharge end of the screenframe is made of flat sheet metal of a thickness and strength to provide some elasticity, while maintaining the screen in proper shape. Projecting downward from the under surface of cross-strip 14 are triangular blocks 15, which constitute two opposed and substantially equal inclined planes. Rollers 16 are journaled in frames secured to cross-piece 17 of the sorter-body, and they stand in the paths of travel of the inclines 15. A perforated screen 19 is secured in the screen-frame, 1

and lugs 18 in Figs. 3 and 4 are preferably struck up out of the metal of the cross-strips to provide means for holding the screen in place.

The throw of the screen-frame is long enough to carry the inclines 15 entirely over the rollers, and when the screen is moved at the proper speed, about a hundred back and forth motions per minute, the cross-strip 14 will be raised clear of the rollers and permitted to fall thereon at each motion in each direction. This action, aided by the elasticity of the cross-strip and the upward discharge swing of the receiving end of the hopper, keeps the grains dancing on the screen in a manner to aid in getting complete separation and to effectually prevent clogging of grains in the perforations of the screen.

The hopper 2 has a bottom sheet 20, which terminates in the rear of the cylinder, and it has another bottom sheet 21, which is sepa rated from sheet 20 far enough to form a feed opening or slot 21". (Shown in Fig. 3.) The ends of the feed-slot 21 are bridged, as

shown at 21 in Fig. 3, and slide-plates 22 IIO form obstructions to passage of corn under the bridges or the slide-plates. A cross-bar extends from one side of the sorter to the other, beneath the supply-slot 21 of. the hopper, and an adjustable plate 26 is secured to the upper surface of the upper edge ofbar 25.

and bearing to some extent against the lower rearsurface of the cylinder. As the cylinder is turned in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 2, the spiral rib will spread the grains it touches lengthwise of the sorting slot,- while giving them a slight stirring action by its lifting tendency. Under these conditions the grains in the feed-passage 21 will tend to assume positions flatwise of the plate 26, so that those of requisite thinness may pass through the sorting-slot and undesirably thick grains will be carried along the slot and under the bridges or the slideplates thereof. The downturned ends of the slide-plates are designedto obstruct, but not entirely prevent, passage of corn under the bridges, and the large grains carried under the bridges will usually be accompanied by a greater or less quantity of grains thin enough to pass through the slot. As soon, however, as the grains of requisite thinness are relieved from the pressure of the corn in the hopper they will promptly assume positions flatwise of the inclined plate and either slide through the sorting-slot or demonstrate their inability to make the passage and travel onward out of the ends of the sortingslot. In this instance the screen-frame is somewhat narrower than the length of the cylinder, and the plates 3 are attached to the outer surfaces of the body-boards. This leaves spaces at the ends of the cylinder which permit grains discharged from the ends of the slot to fall clear of the screen i11- side plates 3, as shown by arrows in Fig. 5, and to join in the body the small grains and other refuse passed through the screen. This provision for discharging the refuse altogether is merely a convenience, and the sorting result would be the same if the butts were discharged from the machine separate from the small grains, &c.

The feed-slot or passage-way 21 is made longer or shorter to control the quantity of corn supplied to the screen, the idea being to 5 give the screen allit will properly care for and no more, and the flow of corn under the bridges is controlled to. assure perfect separation of the butts from the thin grains. So much corn should not be permitted to pass under the bridges that complete separation cannot be eflected before the ends of the cylinder are reached, and the quantity permissible may vary with the adjustment of the slot with reference to the size of corn sorted and with the proportion of butts or abnormally large grains in the corn.

By using a spiral rib wound in opposite directions from the center of the cylinder the feed-slot 21 may be placed over the central part of the receiving end of the screen, and the corn may be spread out over the screen very evenly. In addition to this there is the advantage of two bridged sorting-spaces in which the grains are free to assume flatwise positions on plate 26 without obstructing pressure from above; but it is evident that each half of the machine is in general effect a complete sorter. In other words, the machine would operate in a reasonably satisfactory manner if the spiral rib were wound in but one direction.

I claim 1. A seed-corn sorter consisting of a supply-hopper, a butt-sorter composed of a spirally-ribbed cylinder and an opposing surface forming with the cylinder a sorting slot, a screen below the butt-sorter in position to receive corn falling through the sorting-slot, and means for delivering the endwise discharge from the sorting-slot clear of the screen.

2. A seed-corn sorter consisting of a supply-hopper, a butt-sorter composed of a spirally-ribbed cylinder and an oblique opposing plate acting as a feed-slide and forming with the cylinder a sorting-slot, a screen be low the buttsorter in position to receive corn falling through the sorting-slot, and means for delivering the endwise discharge from the sorting-slot clear of the screen.

3. In a seed-corn sorter, a butt-sortercomprising a spirally-ribbed cylinder, a shield for the upper, rear surface of the cylinder, and an oblique plate extending downward and toward the lower rear surface of the cylinder and'forming with the cylinder a sorting-slot.

4. In a seed-corn sorter, the combination of a frame, a screen sustained in the frame, a hopper above the receiving end of the screen, a spirally-ribbed cylinder located beneath the hopper above and crosswise of the re ceiving end of the screen, an opposing surface forming with the cylinder a butt-sorting slot, means for delivering the endwise discharge from the butt-sorting slotclear of the screen, means for rotating the cylinder and means for converting rotary motion of the cylinder into shaking motion in the screen.

5. In a seed-corn sorter, the combination of a frame, a screen sustained in the frame at its discharge end, a hopper above the receiving end of the screen, a spirally-ribbed cylinconnecting With the receiving end of the 10 der located beneath the hopper above and screen.

crosswise of the receiving end of the screen, In testimony whereof I sign my name in an opposing surface forming with the cylinl the presence of two subscribing Witnesses. cler a butt-sorting slot, means for delivering LEVI P. GRAHALL the endwise discharge from the sorting-slot clear of the screen, means for rotating the cyl- Witnesses:

inder, cam-arms on journals of the cylinder, NORA GRAHAM, and hangers straddling the cam-arms and RALPH GRAHAM. 

